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Complementary and Integrative Medicine
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Wellness Lifestyle

Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Many people use non-mainstream medical treatments, but it is important to understand the distinctions between these approaches and prioritize safety through communication with your healthcare team.

Defining the Approaches

Many Americans use medical treatments that are not part of mainstream medicine. When you are using these types of care, it may be called complementary, integrative, or alternative medicine.

  • Complementary medicine: Used together with mainstream medical care. An example is using acupuncture to help with side effects of cancer treatment.
  • Integrative medicine: When health care providers and facilities offer both mainstream and complementary care.
  • Alternative medicine: Used instead of mainstream medical care.

Safety and Research

The claims that non-mainstream practitioners make can sound promising. However, researchers do not know how safe many of these treatments are or how well they work. Studies are underway to determine the safety and usefulness of many of these practices.

Minimizing Health Risks

To minimize the health risks of a non-mainstream treatment:

  • Discuss it with your doctor. It might have side effects or interact with other medicines.
  • Find out what the research says about it
  • Choose practitioners carefully
  • Tell all of your doctors and practitioners about all of the different types of treatments you use

Frequently Asked Questions

While these therapies are often used to manage side effects like nausea or pain, they must be timed correctly to avoid interfering with chemotherapy or radiation. For example, receiving a deep tissue massage or acupuncture near a port site or radiation field immediately before or after treatment can increase the risk of bleeding or skin irritation. Always coordinate the schedule of these complementary services with your oncology team to ensure they do not compromise your primary treatment plan.
Bring a specific, written list of the product name, dosage, and the exact reason you want to try it. Frame the conversation as a request for a safety check rather than a request for approval. Ask specifically about potential interactions with your current prescription medications and whether the supplement might interfere with upcoming lab tests, such as blood thinners or diabetes medications.
Be wary of practitioners who guarantee a cure for serious diseases, discourage you from seeing your primary care physician, or refuse to provide their credentials and insurance information. Legitimate integrative practitioners will always encourage you to maintain your standard medical care and will be transparent about the limits of their training and the current state of scientific evidence regarding their treatments.
Search for the specific herb in reputable databases such as the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) or the Cochrane Library. Look for randomized controlled trials rather than anecdotal evidence. If the research is limited or conflicting, assume the safety profile is unknown and proceed with extreme caution, starting with the lowest possible dose and monitoring for any adverse physical reactions.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

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